I was asked to do a guest post on a friend's arts blog, on a subject dear to both our hearts: The 1977-82 series Lou Grant. Julie and I have long loved for the writing, the acting, and the actors. And it is finally appearing on DVD: Seasons 1 and 2 are out, Season 3 is coming in November, and we hope for Seasons 4 and 5 soon after.

I'm very much enjoying a British series, just released here on Netflix, titled The Crown, about Elizabeth II. There are 10 episodes, and apparently there's a plan to continue it in future year, pretty much up to the present day. But the early days are what I'm most interested in, and I tend to enjoy shows that take us "behind the scenes" into the gritty details of how unfamiliar institutions work. The first scene is Philip renouncing other national and royal identities so that the marriage can happen. I've watched through Episode 3, at which point she has succeeded to the crown but the coronation is a year away, and she has just made two big, heartbreaking concessions to Parliament: that Windsor will remain the family name despite her marriage, and that she and her family will leave the house they have so lovingly refurbished and move into Buckingham Palace.

The cast includes Claire Foy as Elizabeth, Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (we're already seeing her dally with Peter Townsend, played by a favorite of mine, Ben Miles), Eileen Atkins as the grandmother Queen Mary, Jeremy Northam as Anthony Eden, Victoria Hamilton as The Queen Mother. Jared Harris was King George VI, and surprisingly but effectively, John Lithgow is Winston Churchill.